


Inexplicable

by tricksterity



Series: Wildering [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, M/M, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-17 02:50:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9300773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tricksterity/pseuds/tricksterity
Summary: Harry knows that no matter what Hermione says, all Slytherins are absolute pricks. He has five years of proof for this - so why the hell is Theo Nott the exception to the rule? Why is he doing daft things like saving Harry's life and having sympathy and compassion for him, and most importantly, why the hell is he so attractive?Harry privately thought it was kind of adorable, the way that Nott’s eyelids fluttered as he attempted to keep them open and the way his curls flopped over his forehead, grown out just that much longer over the summer.He then blinked as he realised just what he was thinking, and had a minor sexuality crisis in the middle of the Great Hall at eight a.m.Not the bisexuality – Harry had known that for a while. The fact that he was attracted to aSlytherin.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lifeofben3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lifeofben3/gifts).



> This was written as a commission for lifeofben3, and I really enjoyed writing it, especially Theo who is a character I've never really explored before.

* * *

 

The first time that Harry properly met Theo Nott was in fifth year. Umbridge had caught wind of their latest meeting somehow and had sent out her pack of Slytherin dogs to flush them out and hunt them down. The Room of Requirement had opened up a few different exits for them all to hurry out of, and Harry was the last to leave. He skidded down a few hallways as quickly and quietly as he could, knowing that Malfoy was like a bloodhound when it came to him, and he’d have to take the long way around back to the Gryffindor common room to avoid him.

 

He took a corner a little too fast and nearly crashed face-first into Theo Nott, who was leaning up against the wall near a tapestry shortcut, looking out the window opposite him with a pencil and paper in hand. Harry skidded to a halt, saw green and silver, and knew that he was absolutely done for.

 

That was, until Nott looked him up and down, raised a brow, and jerked his head slightly in the direction of the tapestry. Mentally reviewing everything he knew about Theodore Nott – _Slytherin, pureblood and blue-blooded as the rest of them, quiet, introverted, smart, on the edge of Malfoy’s group, never outwardly hostile, admittedly attractive in a trust fund sort of way with his short curls pushed back like that_ – Harry decided that he didn’t have much to lose. Either Nott would distract the Inquisitorial Squad, or he’d sell Harry out, in which case he was more than capable of dealing with Malfoy and his pack of dogs as leader of Dumbledore’s Army.

 

Harry dashed through the tapestry and all but collapsed against the brick wall, leaning heavily on it and trying to control his audible breathing. He pulled his wand out of his robes and stood at the ready just in case, knowing that Malfoy was only a few corridors away. It wasn’t even a full ten seconds before he heard the sound of feet slapping on stone, and soon he could hear Malfoy’s snapped, snobbish tone as he directed his friends.

 

“Theo!” he called out. “You seen Potter?”

 

Harry held his breath, but Nott just snorted. “Yeah, Draco, I let him run straight past me and through the tapestry shortcut,” he drawled.

 

Harry’s jaw clenched, detecting the sarcasm in Nott’s tone but still aware that he’d literally just told Malfoy exactly where he was. Maybe this was how Slytherins communicated? The world fell silent for a few seconds where the only sound was the thundering of Harry’s heart in his chest and the creak of his knuckles around his wand. Then Malfoy huffed and his group ran back down the hallway.

 

Letting out a deep breath that Harry hadn’t even realised he’d been holding, he waited a good few seconds before slipping out from under the tapestry. From this angle he could see that Nott was sketching the view of the Forbidden Forest outside the window, and his drawing skills were just as good as Dean Thomas’ (not better, though, there was no way a Slytherin could be better than a Gryffindor at anything, but it was close).

 

“Thanks,” Harry breathed, trying to calculate why Nott would do that for him.

 

In response the boy shrugged and didn’t even look up at Harry. “Don’t expect it to happen again, Potter,” he replied. Harry nodded and took off again, not electing to stay and ponder the curiosity that was Theo Nott, as Slytherins were unreliable and prone to changing their minds quickly. He made it safely back to the Gryffindor common room where a large majority of the DA were waiting to see if he made it back okay. Hermione and Ron enveloped him in their arms, and Harry couldn’t help but laugh as the remainder of the adrenalin worked its way through his system.

 

Emergency departures of the Room of Requirement soon became a commonplace fixture in their meetings, but despite the number of different routes that Harry would always take on his way back, he never ran into Nott again. This didn’t mean that Harry didn’t ever see him, though, and whenever he did he paid attention.

 

Harry knew that he could be as observant as a brick wall sometimes, but when it came to people he could hyperfocus like nothing else – part of growing up in a household with the Dursleys where every mood and action of theirs had to be analysed on his part. As a result of this, Harry quickly came to know a few things about Theo Nott.

 

Despite the fact that his father was a Death Eater who Harry’d run into the previous year in the graveyard, Nott didn’t seem to hold the beliefs that the majority of the Slytherins held. Unlike his other pureblood housemates, Theo Nott would stay quiet when they made their mudblood jokes, stayed in the periphery of Malfoy’s pack, and what was more surprising – he actually interacted with those outside of Slytherin house.

 

It was common for the older and younger year Slytherins to have friends outside their house, but those within the middle few years like Nott would generally stay within their own. The older years seemingly didn’t care for house rivalries and the younger years didn’t quite understand it yet, but it was rare to see a fifth-year Slytherin with friends from other houses. Harry spotted him laughing with a Ravenclaw and studying with a Hufflepuff; sitting at a table in the library where he was the only green-robed student to be seen; resting his head on a Ravenclaw’s lap as they relaxed out by the Black Lake; and even on a few occassions having words with Gryffindor students that were quiet and civil.

 

Harry, who had never experienced anything from Slytherin house other than outright hostility and prejudice, was a little shocked. Nevertheless it all seemed to be making sense the more he watched Nott throughout the year; the way that he twisted his lips down when the announcement that Umbridge was Headmistress came about, the way he subtly rolled his eyes when Malfoy would go on a self-important tirade in the middle of the Great Hall, the way that once they were all out of house colours in Hogsmeade he’d happily sit with anyone. Harry was forced to come to the conclusion that Theo Nott might actually be – _a good Slytherin._

He didn’t really have much time to ponder that, however, considering that Voldemort then lured him into the Ministry of Magic, murdered his godfather, and Harry was then returned to the Dursleys for the majority of the summer before Dumbledore recruited him to try and use his status to convince a man who had recently been an armchair to teach at Hogwarts.

 

Harry didn’t even think about Theo Nott until he saw him a week into term. He was seated between two Slytherins that Harry recognised but didn’t know the names of, sipping steaming coffee out of his goblet and trying to keep his head up by leaning it on his hand, his elbow resting precariously near the edge of the table. Harry privately thought it was kind of adorable, the way that Nott’s eyelids fluttered as he attempted to keep them open and the way his curls flopped over his forehead, grown out just that much longer over the summer.

 

He then blinked as he realised just what he was thinking, and had a minor sexuality crisis in the middle of the Great Hall at eight a.m.

 

Not the bisexuality – Harry had known that for a while. The fact that he was attracted to a _Slytherin_.

 

Slytherins were _evil_. How many bad experiences did Harry need to have with them for his brain to finally realise this? They were conniving, cunning, self-important, pureblooded _pricks_. None of them cared about anything outside of their own self interests and they treated everybody outside of their house or bloodline like trash.

 

Except-

 

Except.

 

Living proof was trying not to fall asleep in his porridge right in front of Harry’s eyes. Theo Nott who wasn’t a pureblood supremacist, who had friends in other houses, who was on civil terms with his sworn enemies, who was side-eying Draco Malfoy in a less-than-comrades way. Theo Nott who saved Harry from Malfoy’s pack of dogs last year when he could’ve easily sold him out or just attacked Harry and waited for Malfoy to round the corner and give him a friendly evil pat on the back.

 

“Harry, you alright?” Hermione suddenly interrupted his thoughts, jabbing him lightly in the side “You’re looking a little peaky. Are you sick?” He had to lean back to avoid the motherly hand that approached his forehead, and in doing so smacked into Ron who was sitting next to him, their heads clunking together painfully. Ron made a muffled hurt noise but managed to continue shovelling bacon into his mouth.

 

“I’m fine, Hermione,” Harry sighed. He loved her dearly but she’d been treating him like glass since the Ministry. And yes, Harry had been prone to extreme… mood swings and had an incredibly short temper the previous year. And yes, he’d been sleeping fitfully and still having nightmares every single night about Sirius falling through the Veil (and even worse were the ones where Harry successfully cast the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix Lestrange and revelled in her screaming, twitching and bleeding). But he hated being treated like everyone was walking on eggshells and broken glass around him.

 

At least the news was out now that Voldemort was back and people didn’t think he was crazy. Well, crazier than they all already thought he was.

 

Soon enough they were shunted off to their classes which had upped in difficulty due to the fact that they were in NEWT level classes now. It was a small miracle that Slughorn was taking Potions and allowed Harry into the class with his less-than-perfect grade so he was still able to take required classes for auror training, though the horrific downside was Snape taking over Defence. By the end of the first week of classes Harry was exhausted, already running on fumes, frustrated from Hermione’s colour-coding study and homework timetables, and his only reprieve was the Half-Blood Prince’s textbook.

 

Despite his exhaustion, sleep didn’t come to Harry easily either, and he often spent his nights staring up at the canopy of his bed debating whether he should ask Madam Pomfrey for some Dreamless Sleep. By week two, he was entirely done with it all, and with his map and cloak, he crept out of the common room in the hopes that a night time walk about the castle would still his mind long enough for him to sleep.

 

Harry was used to keeping his footsteps near-silent in the hallways from six years of creeping about, trying his best not to run into Filch or Mrs Norris. It was easier now that he had the Marauders’ Map, and he could see a good few corridors either side of him under the light of his wand. He paused when he saw _Theodore Nott_ unmoving at the very outer wall of a seventh floor corridor, on the very edge between indoors and outdoors, like he was sitting on the window ledge.

 

Curious, Harry followed the map until he rounded a corner and saw exactly what he imagined: Theo Nott, sitting on the window ledge of the highest point you could get in the castle without ascending the astronomy tower, legs dangling off the edge, peering out into the night. He was illuminated in moonlight that shone off his pale skin, his hair dark and curling about his forehead, jaw sharp and lips soft. Something about him in such a vulnerable, unseen moment and the way he didn’t even tightly grip the stone beneath him though he could fall at any moment, got Harry thinking.

 

He crept back down the hallway, hid the cloak and tucked the map into his pocket, and then walked back around the corner, making his footsteps more audible. Nott twitched at the sound, but relaxed at the sight of just another student in their pyjamas rather than a prefect or, Merlin forbid, Filch. Nott didn’t even seem to react to him much at all, rather similarly to that day the previous year, and Harry approached him slowly and leaned up against the wall, staring out at the moon. The weather was still warm at night, and the breeze that ruffled his unruly hair was pleasant on his skin.

 

“Can’t sleep?” Harry eventually asked, voice quiet in the near-silence of midnight in the castle.

 

Nott raised a brow. “What gave it away?” he replied, drawling again. It seemed to be something all Slytherins were trained in from birth. The moonlight shone off the puffs of Nott’s breath into the night air.

 

Harry huffed a laugh at the boy’s reply, and they fell into silence. It was a curiously un-awkward few moments before he spoke up again.

 

“I want to thank you for last year,” Harry said. “You could’ve told Malfoy where I was but you didn’t.”

 

“I did tell him where you were,” Nott replied, still not turning to look towards Harry. “He was an idiot not to listen.” The corners of his mouth curled up at this though, and Harry had perhaps never seen a Slytherin smile without malice or smugness before.

 

Or, more likely, he was willingly blind to what he didn’t want to see. Hermione had gone on tirades often enough in the past that Gryffindors were just as prejudiced against Slytherins as the opposite was true, and that it would take students from both houses to truly close the fissure that had opened up since Tom Riddle graduated.

 

“Why did you do that for me?” Harry asked. Nott sighed deeply and leaned against the side of the windowsill, fingers twitching a little like he was after pen and paper.

 

“Because contrary to popular belief, Potter, I don’t actually hate you,” Nott admitted. He was still stubbornly avoiding eye contact, like if he just kept looking out over the school grounds that Harry would just disappear. “Only a small portion of Slytherin do, and then it’s mostly the ones from pureblood families.”

 

Harry frowned. “Why don’t you hate me?”

 

Nott laughed. “You sound almost offended that I don’t,” he replied. “Most of them hate you because their parents follow the Dark Lord and their parents hate you, or they hate you because Professor Snape’s told them all that you strut about this school and crave attention in any way possible.”

 

“Your father is a Death Eater,” Harry deadpanned. Nott didn’t even flinch at the harsh delivery, and Harry couldn’t afford to be soft with such words.

 

“Something that he and I disagree on,” Nott replied. “Unlike most of Malfoy’s friends, I can actually think for myself. I’ve also got eyes, and I can see that you’ve never wanted any of the attention that you’re given.”

 

Harry blinked a few times in response.

 

Then he sat down on the floor, processing the information.

 

It felt a little bit like trying to feed a vending machine a crinkled note that it just refused to accept no matter how fervently you tried to flatten it out and make it a little more easy to swallow. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Nott turning in place so he was leaning his back against the windowsill, one leg still dangling out while the other was propped up in front of him, arms resting on his knee. His gaze was fixed on Harry.

 

“That the first time someone outside your group of friends has told you that?” Nott said, quietly. Harry nodded.

 

“Not surprised,” Nott sighed. “You have a certain reputation and people start to expect things of you. Doesn’t matter what you say or do, they’ll only see what they want to see and ignore what differs from their view of you. Preconceived notions and all that.”

 

“Are you speaking from experience as a Slytherin or a Death Eater’s son?” Harry asked.

 

“Both.”

 

It was minutes before Harry could lean his head back against the stone and turn to look at Nott. His eyes were dark, face half illuminated by moonlight and half hidden in the shadows, his brows strong and pinched ever so slightly as he looked down at Harry.

 

“I heard about your godfather,” Nott suddenly said. “I’m sorry.”

 

Harry swallowed thickly. “I can’t really talk about that,” he admitted.

 

“I get that. I lost my Mum a few years ago and it still hurts to think about it, let alone talk about it,” Nott revealed, running his thumb across his bottom lip in a nervous gesture. “She didn’t marry into the family, wasn’t a pureblood and was an accidental fling with my father. I was barely able to go and see her, and my father made up some bullshit story to justify my blood purity. Didn’t even know she’d died until a week after.”

 

Harry didn’t miss the way that Nott’s hands shook ever so slightly, but didn’t comment on it. This didn’t seem like something he would tell just anyone, and Harry was honoured to be trusted with the information, despite the confusion.

 

“I don’t know what to say,” Harry admitted, voice nothing more than a whisper. Nott smiled tightly.

 

“You don’t have to say anything,” he replied. “I didn’t do it for pity. I just want you to know that I get it. Especially when it’s someone you didn’t know well or for very long but they meant a lot.”

 

Harry stared at him for a few long moments.

 

“How the hell did you get sorted into Slytherin?” he asked, and Nott laughed.

 

“Only a Gryffindor would think someone who isn’t a total asshole should be in any house but Slytherin,” he replied. “You’re a textbook Gryffindor, though.”

 

Harry rolled his eyes and suppressed the urge to shove Nott like he would his friends, if only because Nott was precariously balanced between solid ground and a seven-storey fall. The boy was surprisingly easy to get along with once he was out of green and silver.

 

Yeah, or maybe Harry’s own prejudice disappeared momentarily when he stopped associating him with Slytherin house.

 

Ugh, now Hermione was in Harry’s head.

 

He opened up his mouth to say something else when he twitched. The castle was almost dead silent at night, and therefore footsteps echoing down the hallway were incredibly audible. They both froze in place, Nott’s head snapping around to the direction of the footsteps. Harry quickly pulled the map out of his pocket and checked it out of Nott’s view.

 

 _Bollocks._ It was Pansy Parkinson, a bloody Slytherin prefect. They were both fucked.

 

Unless…

 

“Follow me,” Harry whispered, grabbing Nott’s wrist and pulling him off the windowsill. Nott was surprised but went with it, and the two of them silently crept down the hallway and around the corner to where Harry stashed the invisibility cloak.

 

“You can’t tell anyone about this, I am trusting you,” Harry breathed. Nott looked confused but nodded. Harry pulled out the cloak and threw it around the both of them, holding his finger up to his lips for silence. Nott’s look of utter confusion turned to disbelief to shock to giddy excitement. He looked like he was going to dance or vibrate out of excitement, and Harry rolled his eyes and pointed around the corner, reminding him about the inbound prefect. Nott stilled and looked like he was holding his breath.

 

There wasn’t much room under the cloak, not with two sixteen-year-old boys, and they were standing toe-to-toe, almost chest-to-chest, both of them looking down the hallway to avoid how awkwardly close their faces were. The footsteps grew louder, and Harry was avidly aware of how his chest brushed up against Nott’s shoulder every time he breathed in and the thrill of anticipation that ran down his spine that was his most obvious Gryffindor trait – that daredevilish streak.

 

Pansy soon turned the corner, looking less self-important than she normally did and more bored as she made her rounds, walking straight past the two of them without even blinking. They both held their breaths as her footsteps echoed away and then disappeared completely, and the two boys released relieved breaths at the same time.

 

Nott’s face was almost lit up with excitement (and a bit of terror), and they were still frozen in place. It should’ve been simple to throw the cloak off the both of them, say goodnight and then part ways, but something was keeping Harry in Nott’s orbit, pressed close together beneath the invisibility cloak.

 

Blinking up at Harry from where he’d hunched down a little instinctively beneath the cloak, Nott’s giddy and breathless expression made Harry swoon a little. This close Harry could see the light dusting of golden freckles across Nott’s nose and cheekbones, the hazel of his eyes and the thick lashes that surrounded them. Seconds passed and Nott’s smile fell from his face as he stared back at Harry just as intently, and he could feel Nott’s breath on his lips.

 

The dark had always made Harry a little more brave.

 

“Is it weird that I kind of want to kiss you right now?” Harry asked.

 

Nott’s eyes widened. He licked his lips, and Harry tracked the movement.

 

“Is it weirder that I kind of want you to kiss me?” Nott replied, voice low and secretive.

 

So Harry leaned in and did just that. He shut his eyes and so did Nott, and he could feel the boy’s lashes caress his cheekbones. It was a dry press of lips, nothing exotic or particularly exciting, but there was a little zing that slipped up Harry’s spine at it, a little heat that pooled in his gut. Nott sucked in a shocked breath through his nose and Harry pressed closer, fingers curling around Theo’s hips, using what small height advantage he had over the Slytherin, bringing one hand up to curl around Nott’s jaw and neck to tilt his head to the perfect angle for Harry to part open his lips and slide his tongue inside.

 

A small moan built up in Theo’s throat at that, and Harry grinned into the kiss, pulling back when the upturn of his lips made it awkward to continue. Nott blinked his eyes open with an expression on his face like he wasn’t entirely sure if he was dreaming or awake.

 

“I’ve only kissed someone once before and she was crying pretty profusely, so I hope that was okay,” Harry whispered, pretty sure it was but wanting to give himself the benefit of the doubt, all the while not letting go of Theo’s hips.

 

“So you do have a natural talent for something besides Quidditch after all,” he breathed, and Harry snorted and muffled his laughter into Nott’s shoulder. “Bloody hell.”

 

“Not exactly how I’d planned for tonight to go,” Harry admitted, reluctant to move from his position curled into Theo. Theo laughed, and the sound was low near Harry’s ear and sent a pleasant shiver down his spine. He had the strangest urge to tilt his head up and nose beneath Theo’s ear, to press a kiss to the skin where his neck met jaw, and did exactly that.

 

Nott’s fingers tightened from where they were clenched in the front of Harry’s jumper. “Oh my god,” he breathed. “I’m being seduced by Harry bloody Potter.”

 

Harry chuckled. “Is it working?”

 

“Merlin, yes,” Theo replied. Harry had no idea where the sudden confidence in his own romantic and physical prowess was coming from – maybe the fact that girls had always been confusing to him, except for Hermione and Luna and to some extent Ginny. Maybe someone’d put something in his pumpkin juice or maybe it was his reckless adoration of anything that got his blood pumping.

 

Harry sucked on the skin of Theo’s neck just a little, not enough to leave a mark, and pulled back to look Nott in the eyes. He was blinking slowly, just like the day he’d been struggling not to fall asleep in the Great Hall, though this time Harry didn’t think it was because he was tired.

 

“So…” Harry murmured. Nott finally blinked back into focus.

 

“So,” Theo echoed.

 

The Slytherin was just so _beautiful_ , and such an inexplicable conundrum, a rare blue moon and a challenge to everything Harry knew as fact. A Slytherin who didn’t hate him, who helped him, who _kissed_ him, who spent his free time drawing and studying and thinking.

 

“Do you want to do this again?” Harry asked, rubbing his thumbs over Theo’s hipbones. “I won’t tell anyone if you won’t, but… it’s nice.”

 

Theo raised a brow. “Nice?”

 

“Maybe not the best word to describe it,” Harry said, shrugging. “I dunno. I like you, and even if you just want to be friends, I’m okay with that. You’re… different. Someone I can talk to that isn’t caught up in everything else.”

 

“My father and grandfather are Death Eaters, the Dark Lord has come back and very likely given the Mark to Draco bloody Malfoy, who I share a bedroom with, and everyone knows Professor Snape – _my_ head of house – used to be a Death Eater and nobody’s sure if he still is, and I’m not caught up in it all?” Theo gasped out nearly all in one breath, and Harry shook his head with a chuckle.

 

“That’s less caught up in it than some of us are,” he said. Harry bit his lip. “So what do you think?”

 

Theo looked at him incredulously. “What do I think about being in a secret and illicit affair with the person my family hates the most?” he asked. “Sounds like the best idea you’ve ever had, Potter.”

 

With that, Theo reached up and tangled his fingers into Harry’s hair, dragging him forward into a kiss that had the both of them laughing.

 

* * *

 

Theo quickly learned that Harry had a way of knowing exactly where he was in the middle of the night when they met up. Harry never let the Slytherin on the secret – he had to keep _some_ of his air of mystery – and so Theo would always shake his head and huff a laugh when Harry found him, no matter how strange or out of the way their chosen hiding spot was.

 

Some nights they just sat and talked, discussing whatever came to mind; sometimes it would be castle gossip, other times deeper topics, and some nights they skirted around any mention of the war or sides. Some nights Theo would lay his head in Harry’s lap and almost purr when he had fingers run through his hair, and Harry would always marvel at the soft texture of his boyfriend’s hair. While Harry’s hair was rather coarse from his frizzy curls he’d inherited from his father, Theo had inherited his mother’s soft waves that were just long enough to endearingly flop over his forehead.

 

Some nights Theo would be waiting for Harry in an abandoned classroom and they’d lock the door behind them and kiss until their lips were red and swollen and shiny and they were clutching at each other’s hips and breathing out moans into each other’s necks. Those were some of Harry’s favourite nights, and judging from the noises that Theo made, he enjoyed them too.

 

It was easy to forget everything else going on while Harry could steal these midnight moments with Theo, forget Malfoy’s disturbing and suspicious behaviour, forget about his terrible Occlumency sessions with Snape and the fact that the worse he got at them the more Snape punished him for it in Defense class with everyone watching. He could forget about the tasks that Dumbledore set him and the way that the Headmaster kept on choosing to drip-feed Harry information, just enough that his Gryffindor curiosity wouldn’t let him forget it but not enough to satisfy him. He was sure the man was doing it for a good reason, but at times it frustrated Harry so much that sometimes Theo was the one running his fingers through Harry’s hair. At least Dumbledore was _talking_ to him again.

 

And then there were nights like these – calm and peaceful, Harry and Theo leaning shoulder-to-shoulder atop the Astronomy tower with a flame in a jar keeping them warm beneath their winter robes, Harry being soothed by the scratching of Theo’s pencil on paper as he sketched the view before them.

 

Harry had been allowed into Theo’s sketchbooks three months after their first fateful encounter in the hallway. He’d been floored by how much attention to detail Theo put into the drawings, how _lifelike_ he captured the world. It didn’t matter what Theo was drawing, he always had a way of bringing it to life. Even a wall sconce with a flickering flame became something ethereal and beautiful by Theo’s hand, and Harry wondered if that was how Theo himself saw the world – everything a curiosity worth spending time appreciating and loving.

 

He _certainly_ spent time appreciating and loving Harry, that was for sure.

 

He was also incredibly helpful in updating Harry of Malfoy’s movements, because despite the fact that Harry could see exactly where Malfoy was at any given time (except for those weird times he disappeared completely) he didn’t know _what_ Malfoy was doing. Theo was perfectly happy to assist, unlike Ron and Hermione who figured that Harry’s paranoia was flaring up again (another aspect of his personality attributed to the Dursleys, and lately, Voldemort) because he also knew it was likely that Malfoy had taken the Mark. Harry was surprised, he’d always considered Malfoy too much of a coward to commit to anything.

 

It was getting to the point that whenever Harry saw Theo in the hallways, in class, across the Great Hall, his heart stuttered and leapt in his chest. And he got the feeling that whenever he caught Theo’s eye and his boyfriend blushed a little or swallowed thickly, he was the same. He hated the fact that he couldn’t tell Ron and Hermione about it all but they wouldn’t understand, and dammit Theo was _his_.

 

And then-

 

And then.

 

Harry was abruptly snatched from Hogwarts grounds by the Headmaster without warning and by the time they returned Dumbledore was weakened and near death, and Draco fucking Malfoy was pointing his wand at Dumbledore with tears in his eyes and the Dark Mark on his pale skin. Harry could do nothing, couldn’t sob when Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters seemingly materialised out of nowhere and Harry had to wonder if Theo was okay, and couldn’t scream when Snape betrayed them all and murdered the man who trusted him.

 

And, Merlin, Harry knew his first thoughts upon the battle breaking out in the castle should’ve been to worry about Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and all his other friends but he knew they could handle themselves, he’d trained them all last year personally. All he could think about was his boyfriend and whether Theo was awake and knew what was going on, whether his father was with the Death Eaters who were fighting and killing their way through children who were half-asleep and teachers who hadn’t signed up for fighting to the death to protect their students.

 

Chaos broke out and as Harry chased down Snape and Malfoy the Slytherins burst out of a hallway and into battle, some of them defending themselves and friends and others staring between their family and fellow students and wondering what the hell they should do. Harry breathed a sigh of relief when Theo appeared in his pajamas with robe thrown hastily atop, hair in disarray but eyes sharp and assessing. He was okay.

 

They’d both known something like this was going to happen eventually, and even though Theo had absolutely no qualms about standing up to his father, Harry knew that it would be far more dangerous for Theo to be on his side, surrounded by Slytherins, than it would be for Theo to remain where he was.

 

And so in response to Harry’s pleading eyes, Theo winked before sending a stunning spell straight at him. Deflecting it with ease, the spell bounced off Harry’s protection charm and into a nearby Death Eater. Seeing that his boyfriend was okay didn’t stop Harry’s heart from screaming out for revenge, and he chased down Snape and Malfoy like a man possessed, unable to stop the pounding of his feet on the grass or the Unforgivables that were ripped from his throat when he aimed his wand at Snape, only seeing red.

 

Snape had too many decades on Harry though, and he couldn’t do anything with his wand just out of reach as the Death Eaters escaped off the grounds and Harry was left fully paralyzed on the damp grass, tears pouring from the corners of his eyes.

 

Approaching footsteps, soft hands on his shoulders and whispered words. Harry could move but found he didn’t want to, until he was bodily hauled upright and had his face pressed into someone’s neck and shoulder. He clutched onto a Slytherin robe and sobbed, knuckles white and throat burning from the tears, the comforting sensation of his boyfriend’s hand running up and down his spine doing absolutely nothing.

 

“It’s okay, Harry, you’re alright,” Theo whispered under his breath.

 

“Nothing’s alright,” Harry replied, barely audible. “I don’t want to do this anymore. I want it to be over.” How could he keep going when Sirius’ death already broke him? Was more death just going to follow? Who was next? Being human and caring was just too fucking hard for a sixteen-year-old boy if this was the way life was meant to be.

 

Theo – who was so aware of others’ emotions and was always so gentle and caring and _perfect_ – gripped Harry’s face in both hands and pulled him away from the warmth and safety of his shoulder. Harry didn’t even know what he looked like, probably with blotchy skin and tear streaks running down his face and his hair even more uncooperative than usual; but Theo looked perfect. Just as he had the night they’d met in the hallway, the moonlight was shining down on his skin with the star-speckled sky surrounding him and his gentle curls being pushed and shoved by the wind like waves on a beach.

 

He brought Harry’s lips to his own and kissed him and kissed him and kissed him until his mind went blissfully blank and all that surrounded him was the warm, comforting smell of Theo’s skin and his grip in Harry’s hair and his teeth gently nipping at Harry’s lower lip.

 

And then he pulled away and the sharp chill of the wind brought the world rushing back in.

 

“Your friends are coming,” Theo breathed, warm against Harry’s lips. “I’m sure you don’t want them to see you with a Slytherin after all this. Go and see the Headmaster. I’ll be waiting up if you need me tonight.”

 

He stood, leaving Harry kneeling on the ground, and so Harry snapped a hand out to dig into Theo’s robes.

 

“You know this changes everything, don’t you?” Harry asked, looking up at Theo. “You aren’t safe on the sidelines anymore.”

 

Theo smiled sadly down at Harry. “I know,” he replied. “But the Dark Lord doesn’t expect all the Slytherin students to be Death Eaters. I’ll figure something out.” Theo grasped Harry’s hand in his own, pulling fingers out of his robe, and then disappeared into the night. It was barely a minute before Ron and Hermione found him, kneeling down on the grass with him in their pajamas. Hermione was talking a hundred miles a minute but stopped when she saw whatever expression was on Harry’s face.

 

The two of them helped him to find his way to Dumbledore’s body, splayed out on the concrete beneath the Astronomy tower, surprisingly little blood for such a fall. Maybe it was because he’d been dead before he’d even hit the ground.

 

Tears fell from all faces present that night, all except for Harry whose had dried up entirely and everything in him had gone numb. He couldn’t bring himself to feel anything, to open himself up to more pain, until Theo stole him away in the middle of the night and they lost themselves in each other so thoroughly Harry forgot about everything that existed outside the two of them, together.

 

There was bugger all time left in the term, and before Harry knew it, he was kissing Theo goodbye behind a pillar at Platform 9 ¾ and dragging his trolley over to the Dursleys.

 

As an early birthday present, Theo risked his family’s wrath and sent him a present only a few days into the holiday. Using the same magic as the Vanishing Cabinet, the small and unassuming box had a twin in Theo’s room and would allow them to pass letters to each other without the risk of Theo’s family intercepting owl-sent letters.

 

 _Theo,_ read Harry’s first letter.

 

_I’ve made the decision not to go back to Hogwarts this year. The war can only get worse, and I’m a target to everyone at school if the Death Eaters attack again, or if Voldemort himself tries to come after me. I’m not sure where I’ll go yet, but the Order’s coming to escort my Muggle family to safety in a month and then get me out of here until the Trace on me disappears. I’ll take this with me when I do go, though, so we can always keep in contact._

_This means I’m not entirely sure when I’ll see you again. And it seems a little prattish of me to say this for the first time in a letter instead of in person, pressed into your skin, but I love you. Somewhere along the way your stupid curls and dumb smile and gentle kindness and open-mindedness caught me._

_I hope it won’t be too long until I see you again, and for now I’ve only got that picture of us that you took when you swiped Colin Creevey’s camera off him. It’s always with me._

_When the war is over and we’ve won, I promise I’ll come back to you. It seems hopeless, and logically I have no idea how I’m going to do any of it, but I couldn’t bear to leave you behind without me or go somewhere that you’re not._

_All my love,_

_Harry._

 

Theo’s reply, the prospect of which had Harry’s heart beating wildly and unsure for days, came when Harry was staring into the sliver of the two-way mirror he still held, wondering whether his rapidly lengthening hair was going to hide his identity well enough. His wild hair was now curling around the bottom of his ears and his fringe had grown out to hide the scar entirely. Maybe with some new glasses and thoroughly Muggle clothing he could get by without anyone recognising him.

 

The eye painted on the little box changed from sea-green to sky-blue, the most subtle messaging box that the company sold, and Harry knew that Theo’s reply sat inside, waiting for him. Swallowing thickly, and making sure that none of the Dursleys were nearby, he opened the box and took out the tiny piece of folded up paper.

 

_Harry,_

_I’ve desperately been trying to figure out how to respond to… everything in your letter. So I’ll put it off by telling you how things have been for me, because I know you worry like that. I know Granger and Weasley tell you this all the time, but you really are paranoid. Understandably so, though. I’m okay. Father is mostly over at the Malfoys’, which is the de facto base for the Death Eaters. I haven’t been brought before the Dark Lord though, thankfully. Father doesn’t think I’d be a good enough Death Eater, or spy, or whatever. Blaise and Pansy are okay too, but I think Vincent and Greg are being forced to join up._

_Going on the run makes sense, but you know that Granger and Weasley would never let you go alone, right? And honestly, you wouldn’t survive three days without either of them. At least let them know that you’re going so they can make their own decisions about it too. Everyone knows that they’re your weakness, so they’re in danger wherever they go. At least with you, you know they’re safe._

_As for that particular confession, stop sweating. You’ve got to know by now that I love you too, though I never really thought that this affair would ever go beyond some pseudo-therapy sessions in the hallways and some snogging. But lo and behold, your ~~shapely~~ dumb and reckless Gryffindor arse has got me absolutely wrapped around your finger. Even if I do spend every day worrying about you._

_My heart is yelling out to go with you, but I think I’ll be more use feeding you information from here and from within Hogwarts. Father’s been telling me that with Dumbledore dead and Snape as Headmaster, they’ll be able to install Death Eaters into a few empty positions, notably Defense. I wonder how your DA will take that. Maybe you should bring that up with Ginny Weasley._

_Love,_

_Theo._

 

Knowing it was stupid to keep the letters, that he should be burning them the same way that Theo was undoubtedly doing to keep their secret from the people who would harm them, Harry couldn’t stop himself from tucking the letter away into his pocket with the picture of the two of them, staring at the photo for a few seconds.

 

It’d been a rare sunny day and the two of them had made excuses to meet up outside by the Black Lake, seeing each other in daylight for once. Theo revealed that he’d passed by Colin Creevey and had managed to somehow swipe the boy’s camera and snapped a picture of the two of them lying down, Theo’s head on Harry’s stomach, the both of them grinning wildly at the camera, hair and grass everywhere. Harry had returned the camera to Colin later that day, claiming that the boy had accidentally left it in the library, where Harry had briefly gone to read up on how to develop wizarding film.

 

The Harry in the photo glanced briefly down at Theo and melted just a little.

 

Harry sent a reply back to Theo, and so it continued, through the long summer month at the Dursleys, through the wedding at the Burrow, through the emergency departure with Ron and Hermione who decided to accompany him on the run. Thankfully the enchantment within the moleskin pouch Hagrid had given him had enough room for the photo and the messaging box.

 

_Harry,_

_Snape’s installed the Carrows as Defense and Muggle Studies professors. You might not know them, but they’re twins and some of the most sadistic of the Death Eaters. Defense has now just become Dark Arts and Muggle Studies is, well, more about pureblood and wizarding supremacy than anything else. Things are still heating up though and I can only imagine it’s going to get worse from here. A lot of students haven’t come back to school this year, but it’s no surprise that pretty much all of Slytherin house is in attendance – all but the Muggleborn ones who are probably in more danger than anyone else. Draco’s back, but he’s not happy about it. I think having the Dark Lord living in your house is finally bringing him around._

_I don’t know what you said to Ginny Weasley, but she’s been giving me looks all day though she hasn’t actually approached me. I’m going to assume you didn’t tell her we’re dating and instead probably told her I’m a Slytherin she can trust. She’ll probably question me on that though, is there anything I can tell her that’ll make sure she knows I’m good?_

_You know, I never thought I’d be saying this, but thank Merlin for Professor McGonagall. I think the only reason that Hogwarts hasn’t turned into dark-days Durmstrang is her presence bolstering the confidence of the other professors. She’s marvellous, and she’s very worried for her missing Gryffindors._

_I’m worried and missing you too. I’m sure you’re okay, even if I don’t know what weird mission that Dumbledore sent you on – and yeah, I’m not as unobservant as you, I am actually capable of picking up on subtext. The three of you stay safe, and if you need anything let me know, I’m sure I can find a way of getting it for you whether it be supplies or information._

_I miss having you near me. I know we didn’t exactly see each other everyday but we saw each other whenever we needed to, and whenever I needed to hold you or you needed to hold me, I could do that. Some nights I wake up wishing I was in your arms but it’s just me in the dungeons surrounded by Death Eaters-to-be. I didn’t quite realise how attached I was to you._

_Be safe, and with love,_

_Theo._

_-_

 

_Theo,_

_Ron’s told me what he can about the Carrows, and they sound horrible. Don’t get in their way, but don’t let them steamroll over those who can’t defend themselves. Hermione set up a system with fake galleons and a Protean charm to let the DA know when and where meetings were taking place. Tell Ginny about the night that I saw her father get attacked by Nagini. That should get her to trust you, and then see if you can all organise something with the coins. Don’t get caught, though_ .

_McGonagall is amazing. If you can, please let her know that we’re all safe for now. Hermione says she never had children of her own and that we’re sort of all her adopted family and she worries about all of us as though we were her blood, but mostly the three of us, I think, because of how much trouble we get into. I don’t know how it happens, I truly don’t._

_Okay, that might be a lie. We’re planning on something pretty stupid that might end terribly, and I imagine you’ll hear about it, what with all of those posters circulating about me now. Ron’s really quite chuffed that he’s a wanted fugitive, in a way. Absolutely terrified out of his mind in all other ways, though._

_I miss you too. I mean, I knew that it’d be ages after I made the decision to go on the run, but that doesn’t make the distance any easier. I miss watching you sketch and listening to you breathe and the shiver that you make when I press a kiss behind your ear ~~and your soft moans~~. I’m more determined than ever to see this through, just so I can kiss you again. I want to kiss you in front of everyone and let them know that you’re mine and I’m yours._

_Please stay safe._

_Yours,_

_Harry._

_P.S. What do you know about specific objects belonging to the founders of Hogwarts? Just out of completely random curiosity that you should definitely not be reading into._

_-_

_Harry,_

_First of all, **what the fuck**. When you said you were going to do something stupid I was understandably worried – but breaking into the Ministry? Stealing things? Nearly getting yourself caught? You’re an idiot and if you were here I would slap you across the head. Dumb, reckless, idiotic Gryffindor._

_Updates on the Hogwarts situation: Ginny and I are talking now, and she’s really quite brilliant (but don’t worry, I’m not into redheads, or girls). She’s also talked to McGonagall who’s going to help us set up meetings and such and distract the Carrows and Snape if need be. Please, Harry, don’t do anything stupid like that again, though, we all nearly had heart attacks when the Prophet reported on it yesterday._

_The founders of the houses all have artefacts associated with them, or ones that they created. Slytherin’s locket, Gryffindor’s sword (which you’re familiar with), Hufflepuff’s cup and Ravenclaw’s diadem. I don’t know what this has to do with anything, but you wouldn’t be asking if you didn’t need it. I’ve no idea where the locket or the cup are, but the sword is still in the Headmaster’s office under Snape’s watchful eye and the diadem is said to be lost somewhere on school grounds. Could take years to find it though I’ll keep an eye out in case I just happen across it._

_Take care, and I love you,_

_Theo._

_-_

_Theo,_

_Thanks for the information, it’s helped a lot. If you happened across the cup or diadem that would be incredibly helpful, but the locket we… already appropriated. From Umbridge. Extrapolate from that what you will, Mr. Observant. Ron’s left and it’s just me and Hermione, which isn’t the same without him here. If you see him (though I don’t think he’s stupid enough to actually try to go to Hogwarts or anything after the Ministry) please let him know we want him back._

_I have to keep these letters short now, Hermione’s getting suspicious. I trust her with my life but the less people know about you helping us the better. At least at Hogwarts there’s a network of you all protected by the professors._

_I love you so much my heart aches,_

_Harry._

_-_

_Harry,_

_Remember how I told you about how we tried to steal the sword of Gryffindor? Well, it’s gone. But we didn’t take it. We’ve no idea what happened and not even McGonagall can shed any light on it. It’s a mystery for another time though, because word’s getting around the Slytherin commons that you nearly got caught at Xenophilius Lovegood’s house? I hope Luna’s okay, Ginny is really worried about her and has heard nothing from her for months. We’re assuming she’s gone into hiding, but she’s a pureblood so we’re not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s because of her father’s articles, but they haven’t been too anti-Death Eater so far._

_I dreamed about you last night and woke up in near physical pain. I’ve got a bad feeling about all of this, I hope you aren’t planning to do something else stupid and Gryffindor-ish._

_Shit, everyone’s coming to bed._

_All my love,_

_Theo._

_-_

_Harry,_

_WHAT IS HAPPENING? My father just reported that the three of you were apprehended at Malfoy Manor and only just escaped? TELL ME THAT YOU’RE OKAY! I’m losing my mind here. At least at Hogwarts I had the DA but at home I have nothing except my fucking crazy father who is more devoted to that bald snake man than ever._

_Love and gritted teeth,_

_Theo._

_-_

_Theo,_

_I’m okay. See you soon._

_Love,_

_Harry._

 

 

 

There were two things Harry saw when Neville pushed open the door that connected the Hog’s Head to the Room of Requirement. One, was that the room was filled almost to the brim with students from all houses, and two, was Theo Nott was standing at the back of the crowd as a lone Slytherin, with a blackened eye but his lips pressed together as he tried desperately not to grin.

 

It took everything within Harry to not launch himself into the room, push through the crowd and wrap his boyfriend up in his arms. But Theo wanted safety and security and _secrecy_ and he wasn’t about to out his boyfriend during a war where everyone was about to use anything and everything against Harry. He respected Theo’s wishes, and instead nodded across the room to him. Ginny launched herself into Harry’s arms and he couldn’t help but grin at her enthusiasm – he’d missed his co-captain.

 

“Thank Merlin you’re here!” she breathed, once she pulled away. “And what’s this I hear about you breaking into Gringotts? And escaping on a dragon? No, you know what, nevermind, that’s not important right now. What do you need us to do?”

 

As much as Harry wanted to implore them all to escape through Hogsmeade immediately and leave it all behind, the stubborn set to Ginny’s jaw, the furrow of Dean’s brow, the thinning of Seamus’ lips, the strength in Luna’s shoulders and Theo’s crossed arms told him that if he asked that of them all he’d receive was a slap across the head.

 

“We need to find Ravenclaw’s diadem, and Ron and Hermione need to access the Chamber of Secrets,” Harry said instead. Theo’s posture relaxed a little out of the corner of his eye, betraying Theo’s worry that he’d get sent away. Everyone kicked into action, with Harry running behind Luna through the castle to find the Grey Lady, and all he could think about was how he hadn’t even had the opportunity to touch Theo’s skin in almost a year.

 

When Voldemort ordered them all to give up Harry, Theo was the first Slytherin to emerge from the pack and stand protectively in front of Harry.

 

“You want him, Pansy? Come and get him yourself,” Theo drawled in true pureblood fashion, still looking perfect and put-together despite the late hour. The rest of the DA surrounded Harry in support, with the Order behind them, and a few of the half-blood Slytherins joined Theo with similar sentiments though their hands were shaking. Surrounded by so many people, Harry took half a step forward and snuck a hand beneath Theo’s robe to lay his hand flat on Theo’s lower back, feeling the curve of his spine and the dimples either side of it.

 

Theo shuddered and released a heavy breath as McGonagall ordered the rest of the Slytherins to evacuate through the Room of Requirement unless they felt up to fighting their own family members. Only a few of the pureblood students stayed.

 

“Wouldn’t have expected that out of Slytherins,” Ron murmured, looking at Millicent Bulstrode in particular, who was glaring at Pansy and Blaise as they evacuated with the other seventh-years. Harry brushed his thumb over Theo’s skin, just once, and then snapped into action, heart beating strong and with a hopeful feeling that they might actually _win_.

 

And then, like all things, the world crashed and burned around him.

 

It was with numbness that Harry avoided Ron and Hermione, silently walking through the castle like a ghost already, not willing to see their faces when they realised what he was going to do. He drank in everything he saw – happy faces, sad faces, exhausted and pained faces. The stones of the castle, the smell of smoke and blood in the air, ripped paintings and the bodies of his friends (some alive, some dead) sprawled around him.

 

Theo was sitting by himself and Harry threw the cloak over him too, sliding onto the boy’s lap to grip him by the hair and kissed Theo for the last time, tasting his lips and feeling his skin and praying that Theo would make it out of all this alive. When he finally pulled back, Theo’s fingers were grasping Harry’s thighs in a terrified grip, and Theo had always been smart and observant and knew exactly what Harry was going to do without words.

 

Smiling, Harry brushed the tears off Theo’s face with the pad of his thumb.

 

“I love you,” he breathed onto Theo’s lips. He waited for Theo to reply with the same, and then vanished into the night.

 

* * *

 

Harry woke up wrapped in someone’s arms, warm puffs of breath rhythmically brushing across his sternum. Beneath the covers, they were in their own little world, with only the air coming in the open window to brush the soles of their feet breaking the illusion. Harry ran a hand up and down Theo’s spine, tangling their bare legs together more, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend’s hair.

 

Though his dark skin was unmarked, Harry could still almost feel the desperate grip of Theo’s hands needing to make sure that Harry was still with him, alive and well, not lying dead at Voldemort’s feet.

 

They were in the abandoned Slytherin dormitory, the only occupied bed in the room, with their clothes in a crumpled pile on the floor. Everything else in the room was either Theo’s or abandoned after a hasty escape. Bedding was strewn everywhere and personal items lay toppled or broken, but Harry had never felt more at home.

 

Theo stirred into consciousness, pressing a kiss to Harry’s collarbone.

 

“Morning,” he breathed, voice deep and raspy.

 

Harry smiled down at him. “Morning.”

 

Theo stretched in Harry’s arms, rolling over onto his back, curving his spine in a way that just made Harry want to push him onto his stomach and kiss his way up each vertebra. Instead he just pushed closer and used the hand beneath Theo to run a fingertip down his boyfriend’s spine, laughing at the shiver that took over him at the motion. Theo slapped the hand away and looked at his watch.

 

“It’s ten a.m.,” Theo sighed. “We should probably make sure everyone’s okay.”

 

Sighing, Harry forcibly shoved Theo into the mattress so he could crawl overtop of him and then laid his entire bodyweight on him, trapping Theo firmly in bed.

 

“Or we could stay here,” Harry replied sullenly. “I just saved the entire wizarding world. I deserve to sleep in with my boyfriend for once.”

 

In response Theo smiled and pushed some of Harry’s hair behind his ear, which was now nearly shoulder-length. Harry turned his head to press a kiss into Theo’s palm, then nosed upwards to kiss his fingerprints. He tried to suck one of Theo’s fingers into his mouth, but the boy quickly removed it and then flicked Harry on the forehead, right atop his scar.

 

“No,” Theo sighed. “You wore me out last night.”

 

Harry couldn’t help the rather wide grin that overtook his face at that, and he wiggled suggestively atop Theo. The Slytherin sighed and bucked Harry off him, thankfully towards the empty bedspace and not onto the floor, before Theo slid out of bed and stretched gloriously naked in the morning sunlight. Even without his glasses Harry could appreciate his boyfriend’s body, and Theo rolled his eyes at him.

 

“Are we going down together?” Harry asked quietly when Theo was halfway into his clothes. Theo froze and bit down on his bottom lip – and Harry let him think, because while Harry wanted to scream to the world that he loved Theo Nott, his boyfriend was rather more private about his personal life.

 

“Not… not yet,” Theo sighed, taking Harry’s hand, stroking across his knuckles. “I’m sorry. I just… I want this to be about us for a little longer. Not gossip amongst our friends and acquaintances and splashed across the front page of the _Prophet_ and having to argue against accusations that I’ve cast dark magic on you or whatever.” He looked so unsure, and his beautiful eyes so wide, that Harry couldn’t help but kiss Theo’s knuckles.

 

“Some other time then,” he replied, and Theo let out a relieved sigh.

 

The two of them departed twenty minutes apart, Theo going first to clear out the Slytherin common room from any stragglers who would see Harry swanning out, and they discovered that the people sitting at the tables in the Great Hall weren’t divided by house. Bodies had been taken out of the Great Hall, organised by the teachers and the Order, and there was a clear divide between those who were relieved for it all to be over and those who had lost loved ones.

 

Theo sat with the remaining Slytherins, grouped together looking a little lost, while Harry went to sit with the Weasley family who were all solemn and picking at their food. Swallowing thickly, Harry wrapped his arms around Ron and Ginny and pressed them close.

 

In time, they would heal. Maybe not quickly, and maybe not entirely, but they would heal.

 

At the very least, eighth year started in September with Harry Potter and Theo Nott entering the castle with fingers interlinked, and smiles were far more abundant four months on.

 

All was well.

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> **If you'd like for me to write you something like this, all information is available:[HERE](https://tricksterity.tumblr.com/post/167729545737/commission-time-open-the-basics-im-a).**


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